LEADER OF TURKISH ARMENIAN COMMUNITY WRITES ERDOGAN ABOUT CONCERNS
Hurriyet, Turkey
Sept 29 2006
The leader of the Armenian Orthodox community in Turkey, Patriarch
Mesrob II, has written a letter to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan expressing discomfort with what he called the "indexing of
the Armenian communities’ concerns on those of the Greek Orthodox
community." Mesrob II’s letter comes following a week in which the
subject of "reciprocity" between Turkey and Greece on the subject of
the internal treatment of eachothers’ ethnic minorities has been a
focus of parliamentary debate.
In his letter to Erdogan, Mesrob II expressed the following: "The
Armenian community is seriously concerned that its matters are being
indexed on those of the Greek Orthodox community…..We think that
we are being victimized on account of struggles between Turkey and
Greece."
Mesrob II also touched on the question of education for children of
Armenian citizenship living in Turkey, noting that due to tolerance
displayed by the leaders of the Turkish Republic, there are currently
30 to 40 thousand Armenian citizens living here. The religious
leader pushed Erdogan to allow the children of Armenian citizens to
be allowed to study in Armenian schools under the provision of the
National Education Ministry, which are currently only for citizens
of the Turkish Republic.
772.asp?gid=74